A Taste of the Tropics
by XionRoxas1314
Summary: Written for a contest on another site. AU. Oneshot. Sisters Aqua and Xion, and twin brothers Ventus and Roxas travel to an island during their summer vacation. While on the island one of their most farfetched dreams will come true. AquaxVen, XionxRoxas


**A Taste of the Tropics**

Summary: AU. Oneshot. Sisters Aqua and Xion, and twin brothers Ventus and Roxas travel to an island during their summer vacation. While on the island one of their most farfetched dreams will come true.

Pairings: Aqua x Ventus, Xion x Roxas

* * *

As the bright orange sun peaked above the horizon, the four wayfarers began to awaken. They were quartered in two straw huts – the girls in one and the boys in the other. They had just arrived at Destiny Islands the previous evening, and they were giddy about spending two whole months in the tropics.

Out of the four schoolmates, Xion was the first to actually leave her bed. Xion was a slender fourteen-year-old girl with short jet-black hair and shining azure eyes. She excitedly raced to the window to let the fresh salty air fill her lungs. The water looked simply gorgeous on that particular day – just beckoning the foursome to play in the waves. "The ocean looks so inviting!" Xion exclaimed. She earned just a mumble from her older sister Aqua.

Aqua was a quite attractive fifteen-year-old female, and she was rather popular as well. Most of the boys at Twilight Town High School couldn't resist her, especially one sophomore by the name of Terra. And one couldn't blame them either; Aqua had choppy blue hair and sapphire eyes to match. She also was equipped with a genuinely caring smile. But she wasn't exactly known as an early bird.

"Come on, Aqua, get up!" Xion exclaimed, approaching her sister's bedside. "Ven and Roxas are probably up by now. Do you want to seem lazy?"

Aqua sighed and pulled away the soft, pineapple-patterned blankets. "All right, I'm up." She lethargically made her way to the bamboo vanity and started to brush her tousled hair.

Xion tilted her head curiously as she watched her sister. "You don't want to be here on vacation?" she asked, disappointment in her voice.

Aqua looked up at her younger sister. "Huh? Oh, no, it's not that. I'm just not a huge fan of rising early," she explained.

The fourteen-year-old nodded, a grin reappearing on her face. "Okay. Well I'm going to see if the guys are awake yet." She threw the hut's door wide open and stepped out onto the soft sand, basking in the dazzling sunlight.

* * *

In the other hut, twins Ventus and Roxas were readying themselves for the sure to be fun-filled day. These two fifteen-year-old boys looked almost identical - except for the fact that Ventus' hair was slightly lighter - but their personalities were polar opposites. Ven was an outgoing young lad – he was captain of the Twilight Town High School's basketball team and was in the running for class president. However, he wasn't exactly the brightest. On the other hand, Roxas was more of the reserved type; he got straight A's in school and enjoyed playing in the band, but he was more looked upon as the eighth grade class' geek. Even his own brother teased him about being nerdy. Because of that, Xion, Aqua, and Ventus were the only friends he had – Xion being his closest.

"Pass me my jersey, Roxanne," Ven said as he sprayed his spiky hair with hair spray.

Roxas rolled his eyes and grabbed the jersey from his brother's suitcase. "It's Roxas," he grumbled, handing Ven the article of clothing.

"Whatever," Ventus said as he took possession of his favorite basketball jersey.

At that moment there was a knock on the door. As Roxas finished buttoning up his Hawaiian print shirt he wondered, "Who could that be? One of the girls?"

"Lemme see," Ven said, leaning toward the window. "Ah, it's Xion, your girlfriend."

"She's not my girlfriend," Roxas mumbled, starting for the door.

Ventus, who was in the middle of putting on his jersey, paused. "She's been your friend ever since pre-K and she's the only one who would willingly hang out with an oboe-player; if that isn't called a girlfriend, I don't know what is."

"Then apparently you don't know what is," Roxas said, in no mood for his brother's teasing. He then seized the doorknob and opened the door. But as soon as the door was wide open, the scowl on his face morphed into a smile. "Good morning, Xion."

Xion was standing before him wearing a breezy floral print dress and an authentic grin to match. "Morning, Roxas."

Roxas stepped out of the hut and shut the door behind him, shielding his friend's eyes from the sight of Ventus dressing. "How'd you sleep?" he asked.

"Just fine," the girl replied perkily. The two then started to stroll through the sand, heading for the beach.

Roxas nodded. "That's good. And where's your sister?"

"Oh Aqua?" Xion asked with a giggle. "You know her: lazy as a sloth."

"That's not true, baby sister," came a voice. Roxas and Xion whirled around to find Aqua standing there, eyeing them crossly. "I only happen to sleep late."

As Xion backed away nervously, Roxas greeted the blue-haired girl. "Morning, Aqua. Ventus is in the hut."

Aqua raised an eyebrow. "What makes you think I'm looking for Ven?" she asked, trying to hide her embarrassment.

"Because I know you don't dig oboe-players," Roxas responded with a chuckle, placing his hands in his pockets. Aqua just rolled her eyes and headed for the boys' hut.

Xion watched her sister until she had gone inside the hut before turning back to Roxas. "So do you have any ideas for how we should spend today?" she asked with a tilt of her head.

Roxas let out a sigh and let his gaze wander to the ocean. "I don't know….Ven will probably make out the schedule. He's like that you know…"

Xion stifled a giggle and came up beside her friend, taking his arm. "Well isn't there something you'd like to do?"

Roxas looked out to the peaceful waves for another moment before turning to Xion. Another sigh escaped his lips when he saw the caring look in her eyes. For some reason she had always preferred him over his brother, which he was grateful for, but he couldn't comprehend why. "Well…" he began. "I have always wanted to go surfing…I hope we can today."

Xion flashed him a delighted grin. "Okay, that sounds great! But don't worry; even if we can't go surfing today for whatever reason, we have these whole two months."

"Right," Roxas agreed, patting her on the back. He was about to speak more when he heard Ventus call out to him.

"Hey, bro, we're going to start breakfast! Help me with the barbeque!"

* * *

After a matter of minutes, the grill was set up outside by the picnic tables. The girls sat at a table, eagerly and hungrily awaiting their breakfast, while the boys were trying not to burn everything they grilled.

"I hope they finish soon," Xion said, her stomach growling. "I'm starved…"

"I hear that," Aqua remarked with a laugh.

Meanwhile at the grill, things weren't going too well.

"The fire extinguisher! The fire extinguisher!" Ventus cried as his pineapples burst into flames. "Where's the fire extinguisher?"

"I didn't pack one," Roxas replied with a shrug, standing by on the sidelines and watching the flaming fruit.

Ventus started running in circles, searching frantically for water. "Why in the name of Kingdom Hearts would you not pack one?" he shouted.

"Axel wouldn't let me," Roxas answered simply.

Axel was the high school's class clown, currently attending the school in his senior year. He was known as a pyromaniac as well. But what he was most famous for was teasing Roxas. He would always use the little eight-grader's head as an elbow rest or something along those lines. Because they lived on the same street, Axel considered Roxas to be his friend, but Roxas didn't exactly enjoy the pyro's company. The classes they shared created traumatizing experiences for the boy time after time, especially chemistry. Axel loved fire so he would set everything ablaze, including Roxas' hair. So the boy was relieved to finally get away from the crazy senior.

Ventus' pupils dilated. "Why wouldn't he let you?" he asked in a squeaky, panicked voice.

"Hmmm…" Roxas murmured, scratching his head. "Oh right, I remember. He said, and I quote, 'Fire is gooooooood, Roxy! Got it memorized?'" He tapped his forehead to mimic the gesture Axel had preformed a few days earlier.

Ventus was now fanning the fire frantically while the girls observed the scene with laughter. "Okay, okay, just help, bro!" he cried, beads of sweat pouring from his forehead.

At that, Roxas sprung into action. He started out running towards the ocean, a bucket in hand. "Keep the flames down, Ven! I'll be right back!" he called, glancing over his shoulder.

"That's really starting to look like a bonfire," Xion observed, folding her hands together.

"Yeah," Aqua agreed. "How large is this pineapple you're cooking?"

Ventus stopped fanning and faced Aqua. "About a few centimeters long and…" He was showing the length with his fingers when he noticed the girls giggling. "Hey!" He turned away with a scowl and continued to fan the fire. "Maybe spitting would help…." And so he decided to test his theory; conjuring up a large wad of saliva, he spewed it over the flames. But it didn't do any help whatsoever; it just caused the girls' laughter to rise. Fortunately by that time, Roxas had returned with the water, and in a few seconds the fire was put out. As Ventus cautiously picked up one of the charred pineapple chunks, he made a disgusted face. "Ew…"

"Let's just stick to the sausages," Roxas suggested, fishing out the sausages from the cooler.

After a short while, breakfast was ready and the four started to dig in.

"I'm so excited about this island!" Xion expressed, bouncing on the bench. This earned a chuckled from Roxas.

"We all are," Aqua said, looking at her friends. "This was a great idea for spending summer break, Ven."

"I know," Ventus replied, beaming. He excitedly turned his head in different directions, admiring the beautiful scenery. "Though this island kind of does look familiar, as stunning as it is…."

"It does look fairly familiar," Aqua observed, curious. Roxas and Xion however didn't see what was so recognizable about it. "It reminds me of that one place…where that one little girl gave me flowers…"

Ventus just shrugged and picked up his fork. "Whatever."

After a few moments of silence while the group ate their barbequed sausages, Xion spoke up. "So what are we going to be doing today?" she asked curiously, taking a glass of milk away from her lips.

Ven was about to respond when a chuckle from his brother distracted him. "Xi!" Roxas laughed.

Xion put down her glass and looked at Roxas with a confused expression. "Huh?"

Roxas took his napkin, chucking all the while, and wiped Xion's upper lip dry. "There. You had a milk mustache."

At that, Xion's eyes grew wide in embarrassment and her cheeks turned a bright red shade. Ventus and Aqua started to laugh but Roxas just gazed at her with a gentle smile. "Th-thanks, Roxas…"

Once the laughter had subsided, Ventus answered Xion's query. "Oh, Xion, I've got it all mapped out," he said. He reached down under the table and took a rolled-up piece of paper out from his shoe. Aqua crinkled her nose, guessing it probably reeked. Ven then unrolled the paper and read it aloud to his peers. "First thing we're going to do is swimming. Then we're building sandcastles. After that we're going to rent surfboards and surf."

"Yes!" Roxas rejoiced.

Ventus shot an annoyed glare over to his twin before continuing. "Then we're going to have a picnic lunch. Then the final thing we're going to do is hike up to Sunset Peak." He then put his list back in his shoe.

"Wow, Ven, for once you're actually organized," Roxas remarked, resting his head in his palms. "If only you could be that way about your homework…" Ventus' eyebrows furrowed.

Aqua raised an eyebrow. "You call keeping a list in your _shoe_ organized?" she asked, eyeing Ven.

"Well what do you want me to do, buy a purse?" Ven retorted.

Aqua let out a chuckle and ruffled Ven's hair. "I'm just teasing," she told him with a grin.

* * *

Following their breakfast clean-up, Roxas, Ven, Aqua, and Xion headed for the shores to perform the first thing on the list – swimming.

"Roxas…why is your brother hiding behind a palm tree?" Xion asked, confused. A short distance away from them, Ventus was crouching behind the trunk of a palm, cautiously peaking out at them from time to time.

Roxas laughed at the sight of his outgoing brother cowering behind a slender tree. "He's embarrassed at his trunks," he answered, placing his hands on his hips.

"Come on, Ven, we haven't got all day!" Aqua shouted to the boy. But Ventus' face just grew redder and he refused to join them.

Xion was worried that Ventus' reluctance might spoil the trip. "What are we going to do?" she asked.

A mischievous smirk appeared on Roxas' face. "I've got an idea…" he told Xion. He then stepped forward and cupped his hands around his mouth. "Hey Ventus, if you don't come out I'll show Aqua your diary!"

Ven's eyes widened. "You…you wouldn't!" An evil light flashed in Roxas' blue eyes and he turned for the hut and started to walk. And just like he intended, his brother cried out, "Okay, okay, I'll come out!" Roxas grinned with satisfactory and returned to Xion while his brother slowly crept out from behind the palm tree. Ventus looked out to see what his friends were wearing; Aqua was wearing a spotted blue hipster bikini, Roxas was wearing black and white checkered trunks, and Xion was wearing a light blue tankini and surf shorts. He, on the other hand, was wearing red swim trunks that were a bit too lose on him, forcing him to hold them up so they wouldn't fall.

"What's wrong with that?"Aqua asked Ventus as the boy slowly and nervously walked up to them.

"They're a bit loose," Ven answered, barely preventing his shorts from slipping down.

"From the way you act at school I didn't think that would be a problem," Roxas remarked with a laugh, causing Xion to look at him with a confused expression. Aqua, however, understood and let out a snicker.

"Oh, funny," Ventus said, rolling his eyes.

"Why didn't you get new trunks before we left?" Aqua inquired, placing her hands on her hips.

"Oh, I found the perfect ones on eBay!" Ventus declared proudly.

"But did you remember to place a bid?" Roxas asked with a smirk. "No."

Ven scowled and then looked down at his trunks. "Well I can't really try swimming when they're this lose," he muttered, struggling to keep them up. "And with girls along on this trip…." He felt his face redden.

"Don't worry," Aqua said, coming up beside him. "I just happen to have this piece of rope with me." She took out a piece of rope from her beach bag and handed it to him. "Here. Knock yourself out."

"Wow, thanks Aqua!" Ven exclaimed, looking down at the piece of rope as if it was made of gold. Ventus quickly tied the rope around his waist securely and then bounded towards the ocean. "C'mon gang, let's head in!"

In a flash, the four were swimming and splashing in the ocean. Ventus swam out the farthest, being the dare devil that he was, while the other three stayed closer to the shore. For some reason Roxas and Xion seamed the stay closer together, whereas Aqua tended to wander a bit closer to Ven, even though he was pretty far out.

As Xion's bare foot stepped down on something sharp, she let out a yelp. Immediately Roxas was by his friend's side. "Xion, what's wrong?"

Xion squinted her eyes and tried to see what was below the water's surface. "Rocks," she answered. "Lots of rocks. I'm surrounded!"

Roxas let out a chuckle. "Oh, that's too bad. Well maybe I can help…"

Xion tilted her head. "You can? How? You're not going to remove all these rocks single-handedly are you?"

"No," Roxas chuckled. "But you could get on my back so you wouldn't have to step on those rocks…"

Xion's face turned crimson and she blinked a few times. "On y-your back?"

"Yeah," Roxas replied. "Why, is something wrong?"

Xion was uneasy and embarrassed at the thought of riding on her best friend's back; also the fact that Ven and Aqua would undoubtedly see made it worse. But she didn't want to hurt Roxas' feelings, so she came up with a different excuse. "Well won't the rocks hurt your feet?"

"My feet? Nah," Roxas replied, shaking his head. "My feet are like Hobbits' feet. So come, hop on." Before Xion could refuse, he squatted down and faced his back to her, eagerly waiting for her to board him.

Now Xion was in a tough spot. Refusing could hurt her friend's feelings, and from past experiences Roxas was easily hurt, even if he tried to hide it. But why should she refuse? She trusted him after all; they had been friends for quite a number of years. After a hesitant look back to see what Aqua and Ven were doing, she decided. With care, making sure she didn't accidently hurt Roxas, she climbed onto his back. Blush took over her face as he held her legs securely in front of him.

"Don't worry, I won't drop you," Roxas promised her, for he could feel her shaking. "Want me to take you to the shore?"

Xion nodded nervously. "Yes…the shore." She then let out a 'meep' as Roxas started walking. Afraid that she would fall, she wrapped her arms around Roxas' neck. Roxas was grateful that Xion couldn't see him blushing as he headed for land.

* * *

The four splashed in the waves for a bit longer before they all agreed it was time to play in the sand. So they grabbed their shovels and pails and got to work.

"What are you making, Aqua?" Xion asked her sister as she turned up some earth.

"I'm sculpting a flower," Aqua replied, rounding out her pile of sand.

Xion nodded and then turned to the boys, who were on the other side of her. "And what are you guys making?"

"I'm making a fortress!" Ven replied with vigor.

"And I'm making an army of tanks to take over that fortress," Roxas responded, chuckling evilly. The expression on Ventus' face was alarmed.

"Boys," Aqua muttered, working on her sand sculpture.

Suddenly something half-buried in the sand caught Xion's eyes. "Look, Roxas, a seashell!" She exclaimed excitedly. Back at their school, Roxas and Xion were the leaders of the Seashell Collector's Club. For some reason Xion especially took interest in these shells.

Roxas was immediately at her side, staring with wonder at the shell. "Wow, that's a beauty," he marveled.

Wanting to talk to someone, Aqua started to scoot her pile of sand in Ventus' direction. Soon her flower work-in-progress was right next to Ven's fortress work-in-progress.

"Why are they obsessing over shells?" Ventus asked, looking at his brother and friend in confusion. "It's not like you can eat shells or anything…"

Aqua let out a giggle. "Who knows..."

There was a moment of silence while the four did their own separate things. Suddenly a tower of Ven's fortress collapsed, causing him to groan. "Darn sand! It's too dry!"

Aqua looked out into the ocean and suddenly got an idea. "Well I could go bring some water in the buckets over here," she volunteered.

"Nah," Ventus responded, crawling on top of his fort to destroy it all. "Forts are boring anyway. What I would like to make is…" He laid himself down in his fort's ruins and started to place handfuls of sand on top of him. "…Is a buried Ventus."

Aqua chuckled at his lopsided grin. "Here, I'll go get some water to wet the sand with and then help you."

When Aqua returned with the ocean water, she found that Ven had already buried his toes. Now she had to concur the rest of him, all the way up to his neck. So she dumped the water in the sand and got to work.

"Hey, that tickles!" Ven laughed as Aqua piled sand on top of him.

"Oh stop squirming!" Aqua replied, amused.

A short distance away, Roxas and Xion just finished looking over every inch of the seashell. "Look at them flirt…" Roxas mumbled in disgust.

"Huh?" Xion asked, looking up at him.

A sigh escaped Roxas' lips. "It just seems that Ven is always the popular one," he replied quietly.

Xion put on the sweetest smile she could manage. "Roxas, don't worry about it," she told him. After seeing Xion's caring eyes, Roxas let out another sigh but said nothing more on the subject.

At length, Roxas spoke. "Xion…can you burry me?"

Xion flashed a cheerful grin. "Why certainly, Roxas," she answered.

Roxas found himself smiling as well. "Thanks…" He then turned to Aqua and Ven, seeing how the wet sand was in their possession. "Guys, can we have some sand?"

"Sure, the beach is full of it," Ven teased. Aqua released a laugh.

"That's not what I meant," Roxas told him, unimpressed.

Xion stood up. "Here, I'll get it for you Roxas."

The four had an enjoyable time with the burying, though Ventus complained about feeling bugs crawling on him. However, Aqua just told him it was all in his mind. And while Xion buried Roxas, she listened politely as he explained how to tighten a screw on an oboe.

* * *

"Yes, it's finally time to surf!" Roxas exclaimed excitedly as the group headed toward the surf shack. They were walking in a semi-straight single file line; Roxas at the head, then Xion, then Aqua, and then Ven.

"Roxas, I didn't know you knew how to surf," Xion said curiously.

Roxas stopped and looked back, his right foot already on the first step of the surf shack. "Oh, I didn't tell you? Last summer Axel insisted on teaching me."

Xion laughed slightly. "Axel's crazy, isn't he?"

"Oh he sure is," Roxas laughed, agreeing wholeheartedly.

"I wonder why he didn't insist on coming along," Aqua voiced dryly.

"Oh he told me why," Roxas responded, leaning against one of the shack's posts. "He said he would have been delighted to come if he hadn't already had a previous engagement with Larxene."

The other three shuddered at the mention of Larxene. Larxene was an eleventh-grader at Twilight Town High, and she was deadly. She was one of the school's leading bullies. One would not want to cross her path, that's for sure. The group wondered why Axel would want to take the risk of dating such a sadist. But then again, Axel did have a knack for starting sparks…

Succeeding the renting of their surfboards, Ven, Aqua, Roxas, and Xion were ready to hit the waves. They rode in pairs, Ventus and Roxas on one board and Xion and Aqua on the other one. Out of the four, Xion was the only one who didn't know had to surf, so she clung to her sister fearfully as they rode.

"This is totally radical, dudes!" Ventus shouted. He and Roxas were riding under a great wave, enjoying the feel of the cold mist surrounding them.

Aqua and Xion were staying closer to the shore, Xion fearing the large waves. "I hope they don't get hurt," the fourteen-year-old said anxiously, watching the boys.

"Come on, let's join them!" Aqua suggested with enthusiasm, looking back at her sister.

Xion shook her head fretfully. "N-no, let's not…"

Aqua raised an eyebrow. "Come on, sis, do you want your friend Roxas to think you're a chicken?" She knew saying something like that would urge her sister to overcome her fear.

Xion looked over at the boys in wonder. "R-Roxas…" She watched as Roxas kept his balance on the board, an adorable smile on his face. She couldn't help but notice that her friend looked rather appealing without his shirt, especially because of his six-pack. Sure, Ventus had one too, but she didn't seem to notice that. Her eyes were glued to Roxas. Suddenly Aqua's voice shook her out of dreamland.

"Woohoo!"

Xion immediately looked around to find that she and Aqua were riding a wave! She held onto her sister's ankles with all her might, trying to stay onboard. She noticed the boy's surfboard as they came to ride beside them.

Seeing Ven and Roxas were near, Aqua got an idea. Without any warning, she picked her younger sister up and threw her over to the other surfboard. "Catch, Roxas!"

Roxas was shocked when Xion landed in his arms, as was Xion. Both of their faces were bright red with embarrassment as Aqua and Ven's eyes were on them. "Um…" Roxas began nervously, looking down at the girl in his arms.

Ventus hopped onto Aqua's surfboard. "Later, lovebirds!" he teased. Then he and Aqua rode away to prevent any protests.

To avoid the awkward moment lasting any longer, Roxas set Xion down behind him. But she immediately started to lose her balance so she grabbed onto Roxas, causing the boy to let out a chuckle. "Don't worry, Xi, you won't fall."

Xion's blush deepened. "I-if you say so…"

While Roxas was teaching Xion how to balance, Ventus and Aqua were having an enjoyable time surfing. Ven stood up in front and directed the board while Aqua rode in back. "This is really awesome," Ventus said with smile, thankful that Aqua couldn't see his slightly red face.

* * *

When their stomachs began to growl, the four decided to stop their surfing for lunch. Ventus, Aqua, Xion, and Roxas sat around a picnic blanket on the beach, a bit a ways from the shore. It was then that they expressed their opinions on the activities they had done thus far.

"What was your favorite thing, Ven?" Aqua asked, passing the sandwiches to her sister.

"The surfing was radical!" Ven exclaimed. "I bet you liked it too, bro." He elbowed Roxas.

Roxas smiled. "Yeah, it was great. I can't wait until tomorrow." He then turned his head to face Xion. "What was your favorite thing, Xion?"

"I liked the seashells," the girl answered. Aqua and Ventus let out a laugh, for they knew that would be the answer.

Aqua took a sip of her lemonade. "What's next on the list, Ven?"

Ven reached over to where his clothes were and took the list out of his vacant shoe. "Um…oh, the long hike to Sunset Peak. Oh joy."

"Come on, Ven, the hiking will do you good," Xion teased, taking a bite of potato salad.

It took them about ten more minutes to finish their scrumptious lunch. After disposing of the remains, they changed out of their swimsuits and prepared for the hike.

* * *

"…I can't…go on…much longer…" Ventus panted, leaning against a rock on the side of the path. The gang had been hiking for over two hours; Ven started to complain after the first ten minutes. Aqua had to literally drag him so he would keep up; she was thankful the other hikers were optimistic.

"Come on, Ven!" Aqua exclaimed, gritting her teeth. She grabbed Ventus' hand and pulled him another twelve inches. "Since we ate a late lunch, by the time we get there it will be sunset."

Xion smiled. "Yeah, and I heard the sunsets up there are beautiful."

"Why would I want to see a sunset?" Ventus grumbled as he shuffled along.

"Sunsets are known to be very romantic," Roxas told his brother, half-teasing. That got Ventus on his feet. He broke away from Aqua's grasp and was now leading the pack vigorously.

"Ladies' man," Aqua remarked, rolling her eyes. Ven just snickered.

And so the four walked on through the beautiful nature, admiring every leaf they passed. Even Ven looked at a flower every once in a while. They didn't talk much, for they were highly anticipating a marvelous time once they reached the top. But they had no idea how marvelous it would be…

When they finally reached the top of Sunset Peak, they were exhausted. Ven was so tired that he actually threw himself down on the ground. But the other three were too amazed by the sunset.

"It's prettier than the sunsets back home…" Aqua marveled, taking a few steps forward.

"I think it even beats the ones on the clock tower," Roxas added in awe.

"Better than seashells…" Xion remarked, captivated by the glowing orange-red ball. Her eyes then wandered to see that Roxas was by her side. Suddenly her face started to feel red, but she passed it off as an affect of the sunset.

Ventus lay on the dirt with his hands behind his head, enjoying the rest. That is, until a shadow towered over him. He looked up to see Aqua standing there, her hands on her hips. "What?" Ven asked, trying to sound innocent.

"At least sit up while watching the sunset, lazy bones!" Aqua exclaimed, kicking dirt in his face. He started to cough and quickly sat up.

"Okay, okay, I'm up!" He was about to protest more when the setting sun caught his eye. "Hey you're right…it is pretty sweet." He then noticed that Aqua was standing up, and guessed that since his feet ached from the hike that she must be exhausted to. "Hey Aqua…wanna sit?"

Aqua looked down to see Ven patting the dirt next to him. "Sure," she responded, trying not to sound too eager. She attempted to keep her composure as she sat down, hoping Ventus wouldn't notice her rosy cheeks. Fortunately, Ven wasn't too skilled when it came to noticing things, so he just sat there staring ahead of him.

All was silent among the four for a while. Roxas and Xion had taken seats on the ground as well, but they were on the other side of the hilltop, only barely visible by Aqua and Ventus. While Ven looked up at the orange sky and thought about how the sun reminded him of a basketball, Aqua was contemplating something totally different.

"_I wonder why he asked me to sit next to him…" _Aqua thought, glancing over at Ven. _"And why am I suddenly feeling nervous around him? Why am I staring at him? Why can't I take my eyes off him…?"_

Ventus noticed how Aqua was staring at him so he looked over at her. "What?" he asked, confusion in his voice.

"_Should I tell him?" _Aqua took a deep breath in preparation for what she was going to say. "Ventus I…"

"I watched Teletubbies yesterday," Ven butted in, stroking his upper lip profoundly. "It was…odd."

Aqua rolled her eyes, annoyed that he had interrupted. "And you think I care?" They both became silent, but tension was in the air.

"_I wish she could see that the reason why I'm so random is because I'm too nervous to say how I feel…"_ Ven thought. He looked out into the sunset again. Suddenly the red-orange glow gave him a burst of courage. _"To heck with dignity! I'm going to speak my mind!"_ "Aqua!"

Startled by Ventus' sudden address, she looked over to him. "What?"

"Aqua…I have to tell you something," Ven began. His gaze fell to the ground between them and he spoke as if he were reciting something. "I have known you for quite a while now, not as long as Xion and Roxas have known each other, but who cares. Now I know we get along and all so I was just wondering…" There was a long pause after that, Ventus seeming to have lost his confidence. Aqua gazed at him anxiously, waiting for him to continue. At length, Ven regained his courage. "Okay I just have to ask! Will you be my girlfriend?"

Aqua gasped. That's all she could manage to do in her state of shock. For a while now she had developed a crush on Ven, but she never knew her feelings could be returned. Several other girls were also flirting with him, causing Aqua to think he didn't want her. But now he was asking for her to be his girlfriend? She wondered if this island was enchanted. "W-why, y-yes…" she managed to reply.

Now it was Ven's turn to gasp. Aqua was one of the most popular girls in the whole entire school and he had never imaged that he could have her as his girlfriend. He had expected to be hit in the face with dirt, but instead her response was 'yes'? It was too good to be true! "D-do you really mean that?" Ventus asked, his blue eyes shining.

Aqua nodded and a smile graced her lips. "Yes Ven. I mean it. I love you." And before Ven knew what was happening, Aqua leaned forward, placed her hands on his cheeks, and gave him a quick kiss. Ventus' face turned beet red and he fell backwards blissfully. This earned a giggle from Aqua.

Meanwhile, Roxas and Xion had just finished watching the spectacle. "Did you see what I just saw?" Roxas asked his friend in awe.

"Yes…" Xion replied. "My sister and your brother are now together…"

Roxas turned back to Xion. "Isn't that weird?" he asked.

Xion nodded. "It sure is…Who knew anyone could like Ven?" She let out a giggle.

A sudden downcast look passed over Roxas' features, and his gaze fell to the ground. "Lots of people like him. No one likes me…they call me a geek…"

Xion frowned, saddened by her friend's sorrow. "I don't think you're a geek…" She touched his arm when suddenly she noticed a dark bruise on it. "Roxas…this bruise…"

Roxas pulled away from his friend. "It was nothing," he snapped.

"Roxas…" Xion began. Roxas glanced over to see that her eyes were filled with worry and care for him, making him penitent for snapping at her.

"Marly and Namine we bugging me again," he mumbled.

Namine was a conceited eight-grader who dated a senior named Marly (whose full name was Marluxia). Together they were known as the school's top bully tag-team; and Roxas was their main target. Whether it was tripping him on the way to class or putting his oboe case on top of the lockers where he was too short to reach it, they were always after him.

"Oh no, what happened?" Xion asked, concern thick in her voice.

"Well…" Roxas began hesitantly. "I called Namine a witch so Marly started to beat me up…"

"Well that's mean!" Xion exclaimed, placing her hand on his shoulder. "Namine is a witch…"

Roxas agreed wholeheartedly. "She sure is. She knocked over my oboe reed while it was soaking!"

Xion let out a giggle. Sure Roxas was a geek, but that's one of the things she liked about him. She clung to his arm and smiled. "That was mean of her."

Roxas nodded. "Yep…" There was then a stretch of silence. Roxas would glance over at his brother from time to time, feeling a bit envious that he had a girlfriend. Suddenly he noticed how close Xion was sitting to him, and it gave him an idea. "Xion, do you like the sunset?"

Xion smiled, looking out at the horizon. "Yes," she answered. "It's so beautiful. I'll never forget it."

"Do you want me to make it more memorable?" Roxas inquired.

Confused, Xion looked up at Roxas to see that he had a smirk on his face. "Huh? What do you mean?" Suddenly she felt herself being pulled forward, and then her lips collided with his. It was a sweet sensation she had never experienced before, and she couldn't help but kiss him back. He tipped her head back to deepen to kiss when suddenly she pulled away.

"I'm sorry!" Roxas exclaimed, afraid that he had hurt her. "I just wanted to try it! I've admired you for so long…and I think I love you…" All fell silent as Roxas wallowed in his embarrassment. He felt like he had just made a big fool out of himself, as if he wasn't a big enough fool already. But then the unexpected happened. Xion threw her arms around Roxas and started to sob.

"I'm so sorry!" she cried. "I-I've been your friend for so long! But I've secretly loved you! I…I don't know why I pulled away…"

To Xion's surprised, Roxas just chuckled. "That's okay…I-I just can't believe you love me too…"

Xion reached up and gently planted a kiss on his jawbone. "Believe it, Roxas," she told him with a giggle. She then gave him another squeeze. "This is a sunset I will _never_ forget."

It was a sunset all of them would never forget. For that night was the night they each found their first and _only_ love. It would be cherished always.


End file.
